Stix on the Beach: Tales From The Happiest Hooker!

A Burning Love Crochet-Along

Let's burn through our yarn stash with a potholder and oven mitts crochet-along!

I wasn't feelin' the Lacy Blocks afghan. I am, however, still devouring the Spring Throw, which will now be known as The Blackberry Sundae Blanket (yep, the name of the yarn color and the day I started it. Sweet, eh?). Since we all know that'll take some time for me to finish, I thought it would be fun to crochet up some small projects to help keep the flame alive! And doesn't vintage potholders and oven mitts sound like the perfect fuel for the fire?

Oven mitts, hot pads, potheads, er, potholders, are easy items to make (especially if you're a beginner crocheter). Simple and quick, they hit the spot when you have an appetite to hook to your heart's delight! Personally, I am making mine for wall decorations, not so much for pulling Hungry Man Turkey TV dinners outtah the oven.

And then I thought it would make a great crochet-along! Although they are pretty basic, there are a bountiful of designs to keep from becoming bored — making them ideal for both fresh and seasoned crocheters alike! So if the idea of this has you salivating to start stitching, check out and join up for the Flickr group I have created for the CAL. You can get a taste of the free patterns available online at Free Vintage Crochet and Crochet Pattern Central.

Now let's get cooking, er, hooking!

Too Hooked

The addiction has awakened. With the Bollywood Blanket finished to enjoy, I was eagered to get started on something new! Except I could not make up my mind between the two afghan patterns that I've had my eye on in Leisure Arts Quick and Cozy Afghans. So I decided not to choose by crocheting both of them at the same time! Of course I don't mean in that rub-your-tummy-and-your-head-at-the-same-time-kind-of-way, though. I get confused enough eating chips in one hand and using the TV remote in the other!

The first one is Lacy Blocks, which I have mentioned before. And in a total departure from my desire to never copy a crocheted item exactly as it appears in the designer's photograph, I went with the same color as it is in the book! And since I started crocheting this while on a combination of Pamprin and generic Sudafed, my stitch count is way off. But miraculously the pattern is taking shape by just using common sense to figure out how to keep it in line. We'll see how long this keeps up. If I do need to start from the beginning once more, it's no big deal with this fast and easy pattern. Besides, I needed the practice of learning treble crochet again!

The second blanket is the Spring Throw. What a difference a worsted acrylic choice makes! I started out with Red Heart Super Saver in Cornmeal. But the shells looked undefined, either because of the color or the weight. I switched to Caron Simply Soft in Blackberry (which I first considered for the Lacy Blocks) and can't get over how gorgeous the stitches look in this color and yarn!

I'll be posting the progress of these two projects, so stay tuned! In the meantime, here's a couple of crochet how-to's needed for these afghans:

Lacy Blocks - How to Make Triple/Treble Crochet - Written/Video
Spring Throw - How to Make Crochet Shells - Written & Video

Rain or Shine in Downtown Anaheim

It's no secret that I loathe the Southern California sun. I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder in the summer — and the remaining 270 days of sunlight. I don't belong in this sun worshipping state, and want to bitch-slap every local meteorologist on television who practically tells us to get on our knees and pray the rain away.

However, there are sunny days I absolutely love! Those are the days when the sun is shining, the wind is picking up, the sky is a breathtakingly bright blue and the clouds are rolling in huge! That's when nothing can keep me down and I am running out the front door with my camera!

So was the case this past Monday. Most of the morning and early afternoon the sky kept changing minute-to-minute. It was even misting at one point. Once I was done with laundry, I took off for a walk around the neighborhood.  And to climb — with a painful slipped disc — six stories of an outdoor parking structure. As I rested at each floor landing, I saw an old man across the street watching me. Not sure if he was marveling at my physique, or preparing to dial 9-1-1 if the wind blew me over.

Totally worth the trip once I got to the top and saw the panoramic view of Anaheim. I didn't take any photos that gave justice to the beautiful scene 'cause my hands were shaking too bad. Funny how that happens when you walk up six flights of stairs with a slipped disc that affects ALL your nerves. Next time I will take the tripod. Thought I was going to say "elevator" didn't ya? Yeah, elevators make my bladder weak. Remember that if we're ever together and you suggest NOT taking the stairs.

After climbing back down, I crossed the street and headed to City Hall. That's when I finally discovered the secret Mito Garden named after Anaheim's first sister city, located in Japan! It would not had stayed a secret for long if I had just veered off my robotic route once in a while.

Truth be told, when I read about the garden a couple of years ago, I imagined something much grander. And with a Koi pond. But it is pretty and does exude a sense of peace in such a bustling part of the city! It's also quite photogenic. And you may find me crocheting there someday. Just not on a boring sunny day.

I didn't have to wait long for my favorite weather to come along. Wednesday started out with overcast skies and light showers, so I knew for sure I'd be walking with Marissa to the bus, then a quick  library stop. We were at the corner of our street when the storm hit. The sky grew dark, the wind whipped up and the rain poured down! I'm sure I was singin' in the rain from being so damn happy. Even the woman with the flipped umbrella at the crosswalk seemed to be having fun.

It started getting torrential, though. And I started remembering how Anaheim has seen tornadic activity in recent years. And I was glad I had a fully charged camera battery. What I forgot was how quickly the streets flood. But I didn't let that deter me from checking in at the library! And boy, I'm glad it didn't, 'cos I left with a good haul of used needlecraft books! The Rain Gods were smiling down on me, obviously.

Still raining, I was almost home when something shiny caught my eye. It was sunny on the other side of the street! Regardless of rain or shine in Anaheim, these little adventures always make me feel like I am on cloud nine.

Hooray For Bollywood!

The completed crocheted Bollywood Blanket is making its debut!


Ever since 2006, when I made the Stripes (and Stripes) Forever Scarf from Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker, I have always wanted to turn it into an Indian-inspired afghan. Then last Autumn I started seeing the cluster stitch being used a lot in all kinds of awesome designs. The shape and texture of the stitch appeared to be what I had in mind for a natural, almost stone-like, look. Stone, not to be confused with the natural, stoned-like look I often possess. The idea for the Bollywood Blanket was born!

Researching for my next movie project — er — my next knitting project.

Four months in the making! It probably could have been finished in four weeks if I hadn't taken a three month hiatus. A cluster stitch blanket is super fun, super easy, super quick, super pretty and will make you look like a superstar crocheter!

A cluster blanket like the "Bollywood" is an ideal first project for beginners because of the basic crochet involved that becomes perfect with practice:
Single Crochet Stitch (Written/Video)
Double Crochet Stitch (Written/ Video)
Changing Colors in Double Crochet (Written/Video)
Instructions on the cluster stitch and crocheting over tails as-you-go are at the bottom of this post.

Kali, the namesake of the Hindu Goddess, approves of the Bollywood afghan.

Basic Blueprint for the Bollywood Blanket

Hook: H
Size: 37 inches wide, 72 inches long

The Stitch: Alternate Double Clusters
Odd number of sts (add 3 for foundation ch).
The Bollywood foundation chain: 249 PLUS 3.

Row 1: 3 DCTOG all in the 4th ch from hook, *1 CH, skip 1 ch, 3 DCTOG all in the next ch, repeat from * to end, turn.
Row 2: 3 CH, skip first 3 dctog, *3 DCTOG in next ch SPACE, 1 CH, skip next 3 dctog, repeat from *, end 3 DCTOG under 3 ch, turn. Repeat row 2.

Written instructions: How to Crochet a Cluster Stitch For Dummies.
Video instructions (repeat steps for larger cluster): Crochet Geek  Cluster Stitch


Borderline, Feels Like I'm Going To Lose My Mind. I was going crazy deciding on a border to use on the top and bottom of the blanket. I didn't want anything too busy. The best choice turned out to be two clean lines of single crochet, much like the wider ones on the sides. Be sure to do the wide, side borders first, though.


The Yarn: Red Heart Super Savers, a Caron One Pounder and a Side of Six-Year-Old Sparkly Stash.
Red Heart Super Saver Aruba Sea
Red Heart Super Saver Buff
Red Heart Super Saver Carrot
Caron One Pound Rose
Bernat Baby Coordinates Pink Double-Stranded with:
Caron Simply Soft Sunshine
Caron Simply Soft Persimmon
and...
Sparkly Novelty Yarns


Crocheting Over the End Tails As You Go: Or "How To Finish Your Blanket Much, Much Sooner." I haven't come across the how-to video of this technique that I learned from. Now that I know how to use our tripod (pause for laughter), I may just end up making one of my own.


A Wet Blanket. As soon as you bind off the last row, run to the nearest washing machine! The sooner you can do this, the sooner you can toss it in a dryer with several fabric softeners! Then you can spend the rest of your life squeezing the insanely soft cluster stitches.


You've Made Your Blanket, Now Lie In It. Don't just fold it over a chair and take pretty pictures of it — use it and enjoy it in every way! Sleep with it! Let the cat sleep on it! Eat a picnic and play Scrabble on it! Curl up with a cup of coffee and read Game of Thrones in it! Avoid watching full-frontal nudity and bloody beheadings on Game of Thrones by covering your eyes with it (oh, who am I kidding?)! Or even give it to someone who will love it too.